- The icon for the SMS, MMS, and RCS client app “Google Messages” for Android devices was suddenly revamped with the app version v20261030_00 update released on Monday, November 2, 2026.
- While retaining the familiar overlapping double-speech-bubble design, a new gradient has been introduced.
- Internally, the app’s icon resource name has been changed from the previous “ic_launcher” to “ic_messages_launcher”.
A while ago, Google completely refreshed the icons for its services, particularly focusing on Google Workspace-related services, but it looks like they weren’t done yet.
The icon for the SMS, MMS, and RCS client app “Google Messages” for Android devices was suddenly revamped with the app version v20261030 update released on Monday, November 2, 2026. While the refreshed “Google Messages” app keeps the same overlapping double-speech-bubble design, a new gradient has been applied.
They might look identical at a glance, but comparing them reveals the difference.
The icon refresh for the “Google Messages” app is currently rolling out gradually.
By the way, we have confirmed that the internal icon resource name has been changed from the previous “ic_launcher” to “ic_messages_launcher”.
<application ... android:icon="@mipmap/ic_launcher" ...>
<application ... android:icon="@mipmap/ic_messages_launcher" ...>Google Messages App Link
